LOSSA football champions crowned

Donald A. Wilson, St. Mary take senior titles

Junior Champs

Ron Pietroniro / Metroland

OSHAWA -- The Pickering Trojans defeated the Holy Trinity Titans 19-18 to claim the LOSSA Tier 1 Junior title at the Oshawa Civic on November 10. Pickering team captains hoisted the LOSSA Junior trophy. November 10, 2012.

Junior champs

Ron Pietroniro / Metroland

OSHAWA -- The Pickering Trojans defeated the Holy Trinity Titans 19-18 to claim the LOSSA Tier 1 Junior title at the Oshawa Civic on November 10. November 10, 2012.

LOSSA Football Finals

Jason Liebregts / Metroland

OSHAWA -- Titans Blair Winner made a touchdown in LOSSA football final action against the Gators at Civic Fields November 10. November 10, 2012

DURHAM -- The LOSSA football league crowned its champions in both the Tier I and Tier II senior and junior divisions, as the finals played out at Civic Fields in Oshawa.

Tier One Senior Championship

Donald A. Wilson 42, Holy Trinity 20

Each year, the LOSSA football coaches are asked to submit their nominations for the league's Most Valuable Player at the end of the regular season. The presentation is then usually made following the conclusion of the league final. The fans in attendance at this year's championship will not be disputing the coaches' selection for 2012 Tier I. The award went to Andrew Smith of the Donald A. Wilson Gators. Smith's effort was among the best all time in a league final. All he did was score each of the five Wilson offensive touchdowns. He played a big role in the sixth touchdown, a pass interception returned by Christian Rose, as he delivered the key block on the play. Late in the fourth quarter, with the game decided, he added an interception to his game stats.

The Titans found themselves in a deep hole early as they trailed by 21 before the game was eight minutes old. The Gators took advantage on two Titan turnovers (a loss on downs and the Rose interception). To their credit, the 2010 Metro Bowl champions fought back and reduced the lead to seven on a pair of touchdown runs by Blair Winner in the second quarter. Sandwiched between the Titan touchdowns was a key fumble turnover by the Gators on the Holy Trinity one yard line. The seven-point deficit, however, would be as close as the Titans would get as Smith scored in the final minute of the first half to up the margin to 14. From that point, the Titans would score six additional points on a pair of field goals by Joe Mastromarco (38 and 17 yards), however both times the Gators responded with a Smith touchdown. Christian Rose successfully converted all six touchdowns while Mastromarco delivered the point after on both Titan majors.

The title for the Gators was their fifth in the past six seasons, a remarkable accomplishment for a school which was only opened in 2004. Holy Trinity, who entered the league in the same year as Wilson, has now reached four Tier I senior finals in the past five seasons. The Gators will now attempt to defend their 2011 Metro Bowl title and extend LOSSA's Metro Bowl title streak to three. Their semifinal opponents will be Huron Heights (York Region) on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at Centennial Stadium in Toronto.

Wilson: Andrew Smith 5TD; Christian Rose TD, 6C

Trinity: Blair Winner 2TD; Joe Mastromarco 2FG, 2C

Game MVPS:

Donald A. Wilson: Andrew Smith (offence); Brandon Hatzes (defence)

Holy Trinity: Blair Winner (offence); Luke Elson (defence)

League MVP: Andrew Smith (Donald A. Wilson)

Tier Two Senior Championship

St. Mary 31, Sinclair 0

The St. Mary Monarchs completed a sensational turnaround season as they captured the Senior Tier II championship with a 31-0 win over the Sinclair Celtics.

In 2011, the Monarchs program suffered through a winless season in which their two programs (junior and senior) were outscored 314 to 71. They were prepared to carry on in Tier I, however a declining enrollment left them with insufficient numbers to field a junior team, a prerequisite for continuing in Tier I. Reluctantly playing in Tier II, the Monarchs would dominate their opposition as they scored 257 points while allowing a miniscule three in the seven games that they played. Each game was won by at least 26 points.

In the championship game, Nathaniel Fermin put the Monarchs on top midway through the opening quarter with a 15-yard scamper. Two minutes later Mekai Clarke was on the receiving end of a 21-yard touchdown strike. Fermin then unleashed a 53-yard gallop to extend the Monarch lead to 21. The Celtics found themselves with an opportunity to reduce the deficit when Darryl During scooped up a fumble and carried the ball 63 yards to the Monarch two-yard line. However, on the next play the Monarch defence came up big and recovered a Celtic fumble. In the final two minutes of the half, the sure-footed Tyler Decarios split the uprights from 36 yards and Damien White, on a keeper, reached the house from the two. There was no scoring in the second half.

The Pickering Trojans and Holy Trinity Titans were meeting for the third time this season and given the fact that the two previous games had seen one point differences in the final quarter, one should not have been surprised when the teams were once again engaged in a one-point game through the final 12 minutes of play.

The Titans had opened up a 12-0 lead on a first-quarter touchdown run by league MVP Nathan Jones (32 yards) and a second-quarter fumble recovery in the end zone by Mikey Akeson following a Trinity punt. Thirty-seven seconds following Akeson's touchdown, Darnel Jarrett unleashed a 51-yard run to cut the lead in half. The first half concluded with Justice Johnson being forced out of bounds at the Titans two-yard line.

Following intermission, Johnson returned the second-half kickoff 65 yards to knot the score at 12. His convert gave the Trojans their first lead of the game. Trinity responded with a touchdown by Nathan Jones, his second, from two yards out with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Less than two minutes later, the Trojans recaptured the lead on a 26-yard run by Kesean Bennett. Bennett's run was set up by a 29-yard carry by Jarrett. The fourth quarter saw the teams exchange possessions until the Titans started their third long drive of the game and moved the ball deep into Pickering territory. With 29 seconds on the clock, the Titans were inside the Trojan 15-yard line, and coach Lyons called for a game-winning field goal attempt. The attempt was blocked and the junior Trojans narrowly escaped with their record 10th LOSSA football title.

The victory earns the Trojans a berth in the Ontario regional junior football championship. They are scheduled to host Assumption College School (Brantford) in quarter-final play. The game is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Nov. 16 at noon. Location will either be Pickering High School or Oshawa Civic Field.

The Ajax Rams held off a furious final-minute drive by J. Clarke Richardson to capture the Tier II junior championship.

The two teams fought to a scoreless draw through the opening half of play. Richardson controlled the opening quarter of play by effectively neutralizing the Ram offense. The Rams were kept deep in their end of the field thanks to a couple of strategically placed punts by George Goudogianis. The second quarter saw the Rams step it up a notch offensively, however the Storm defence came up big with a fumble recovery by Tevin Lawrence and an interception by J'van Manhertz, keeping the game level.

Ajax, led offensively by league MVP Trey Humes, was finally able to move the ball into field-goal position with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Tristen Wilson was called upon to kick a field goal which broke the tie and gave the Rams a slim three-point cushion. Pinned deep in their own zone with five minutes remaining, Richardson elected to concede a safety and rely on their defence getting the ball back. The two points credited to Jacob Harrison extended the Ajax lead to five. Richardson was able to get the ball back with a minute remaining when Wahid Ibrahimi recovered a Ram fumble. The Storm then quickly marched the ball down inside the Ajax 10-yard line with 20 seconds remaining. Needing a touchdown for the win, the Ram defence held strong as a Richardson running play fell five yards short of the house, giving the Rams their second Tier II title in the past five seasons.